In Holguín, Cuba, Unlimited Beer for Leaders and Their Relatives Amid Blackouts and Shortages

The Cristal Fiestas, organized by Bucanero, coincided with the anniversary of 11J and the massacre of the ’13 de Marzo’ tugboat. 14ymedio, Holguín, 14 July 2025 — Lights, beer, music and official propaganda. That’s what the Cristal Fiestas offered this Saturday near the Calixto Garcia stadium, while most of the residents of Holguín lived through … Continue reading “In Holguín, Cuba, Unlimited Beer for Leaders and Their Relatives Amid Blackouts and Shortages”

Pinar del Río Loses 400 Hectares of Tobacco Because of Blackouts

The managers of Consolación del Sur complain that part of the plantations have been ruined due to the lack of irrigation. 14ymedio, Havana, 27 June 2025 — The constant power outages are not only trying the patience of Cubans, but also affecting important sectors of the country’s economy. Tobacco, one of the privileged sectors because … Continue reading “Pinar del Río Loses 400 Hectares of Tobacco Because of Blackouts”

Even the Dollar Loses the Battle Against Blackouts in Matanzas, Cuba

Without electricity, businesses stop selling and stop accepting all types of money 14ymedio, Julio César Contreras, Matanzas, 25 June 2025 -The pattern repeats itself. In any city where a dollar store opens, businesses in freely convertible currency (MLC) accelerate their decline. Matanzas could not be any different, and the Ten Cent store on Medio Street … Continue reading “Even the Dollar Loses the Battle Against Blackouts in Matanzas, Cuba”

‘Cubans Are Physically and Mentally Exhausted by the Blackouts’

The music cuts out at the Cuban Art Factory and Coppelia closes because the ice cream is melted. 14ymedio, Darío Hernández / Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 24 June 2025 —  The increasing number of blackouts respect fewer and fewer hours and fewer neighborhoods. Living in Havana’s most touristy areas doesn’t guarantee a night without power … Continue reading “‘Cubans Are Physically and Mentally Exhausted by the Blackouts’”

Blackout for ‘The Little Prince’, Light for Cuban Communist Party Officials in Matanzas

Some neighborhoods barely suffer any outages, while others live among candles and silent refrigerators. 14ymedio, Pablo Padilla Cruz, Matanzas, 20 June 2025 — “The essential is invisible to the eyes,” says the famous quote from The Little Prince. But when Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote it, he was not referring to the blackouts. In Matanzas, the … Continue reading “Blackout for ‘The Little Prince’, Light for Cuban Communist Party Officials in Matanzas”

Cubans Suffer Another Sunday With Long Blackouts

This Saturday, the Santa Cruz thermoelectric plant went out of service, joining four other units, and 93 power generation motors due to a lack of fuel. 14ymedio, Havana, 22 June 2025 — Cuba’s energy deficit will reach alarming levels this Sunday. According to forecasts by the Electricity Union (UNE), peak availability is estimated at 1,820 … Continue reading “Cubans Suffer Another Sunday With Long Blackouts”

Ten-Hour Blackouts Come to Cuba’s Isle of Youth Despite Its Energy Autonomy

Authorities punish entities that do not participate in the rational use plan with the withdrawal of electricity service for seven days. 14ymedio, Madrid, June 18, 2025 — The only territory that had been kept out of the scheduled blackouts and the electricity deficit thanks to its independent energy system, the Isle of Youth, has also … Continue reading “Ten-Hour Blackouts Come to Cuba’s Isle of Youth Despite Its Energy Autonomy”

Cuba Rumors of May: A Parade Modified by Artificial Intelligence and a Major National Blackout Is Coming

Putin’s disregard for Díaz-Canel and preparations for a simultaneous US invasion of Cuba and Venezuela. 14ymedio, Havana, 2 June 2025 — When some YouTubers and computer experts saw the images of the May Day parade published by Cubadebate, they ventured a hypothesis: the University of Computer Sciences had retouched the images of the parade and … Continue reading “Cuba Rumors of May: A Parade Modified by Artificial Intelligence and a Major National Blackout Is Coming”

Cuba’s Blackouts Are Due to a 25 Percent Drop in Electricity Production, Not to Excessive Consumption

In 2024, billed consumption was 13,985 GWh, a value close to what was produced, which makes the energy debacle even more incomprehensible. 14ymedio, Havana, May 31, 2025 — The Cuban energy debacle in the last four years fits into the 16-page report published this Friday by the National Bureau of Statistics and Information (ONEI). Among … Continue reading “Cuba’s Blackouts Are Due to a 25 Percent Drop in Electricity Production, Not to Excessive Consumption”

With the Blackout, the Streets of Matanzas, Cuba, Become Illegal Racetracks

According to Girón, young people race for “pleasure, money, and just for the show.” 14ymedio, Havana, 26 April 2025 — “Fast, furious, and dangerous” is how the newspaper Girón describes the illegal bikers who engage in dizzying races on the Matanzas viaduct, just a few meters above the sea. It is a kind of extreme … Continue reading “With the Blackout, the Streets of Matanzas, Cuba, Become Illegal Racetracks”

Another Day With Long Blackouts in Cuba: “It Was the Lord’s Turn To Rise From the Darkness”

14ymedio, Havana, 20 April 2025 — For Cubans, Lent does not end at the same time as in the rest of the world. Especially when it comes to energy, the Island’s electricity never arrives on Easter, and the resurrections promised by the Government for the national electricity system (SEN) never take place: for this Sunday … Continue reading “Another Day With Long Blackouts in Cuba: “It Was the Lord’s Turn To Rise From the Darkness””

With Eight Solar Parks and More Fuel, Cuba Remains on the Verge of Total Blackout

This Monday, the impact exceeded 1,800 megawatts due to “demand above the forecast,” according to UNE. 14ymedio, Havana, 8 April 2025 — The energy deficit forecast by the Electric Union of Cuba (UNE) for this Monday, 1,636 megawatts (MW), with a consequent impact of 1,706 MW, was already serious, but ended up being even more … Continue reading “With Eight Solar Parks and More Fuel, Cuba Remains on the Verge of Total Blackout”

Sherritt’s Two Power Plants in Cuba Were Key to Solving the Blackout

The Canadian power plant contributed about 816 gigawatt-hours in 2024 to the national electricity system and allowed the reconnection of the thermoelectric plants. 14ymedio, Havana, 20 March 2025 — The gas power plants of the Canadian mining giant Sherritt in Boca de Jaruco (Mayabeque) and Varadero (Matanzas) were key pieces in returning electricity to Cuba … Continue reading “Sherritt’s Two Power Plants in Cuba Were Key to Solving the Blackout”

After a Sleepless Night Due to a Blackout, Cubans Go Out To ‘Hunt’ for Scarce Food

Not even a police baton are able to prevent people from speaking loudly and badly against the government.  14ymedio, José Lassa, Havana, 15 March 2025 — The lack of enthusiasm of the three policemen who watched the Guanabacoa fair this Saturday, settled on their motorcycles, does not deceive anyone: they too have had a difficult … Continue reading “After a Sleepless Night Due to a Blackout, Cubans Go Out To ‘Hunt’ for Scarce Food”

The General Blackout in Cuba Continues, With a Few Islands of Light

Technicians face difficulties in resolving a “complex situation” 14ymedio, Havana, 16 March 2025 –The few lights that were on in Havana at sunset this Saturday looked more like phantoms in a cemetery than a capital city. From the Loma de la Cruz in Guanabacoa, where a reporter from this newspaper photographed the dark panorama, a … Continue reading “The General Blackout in Cuba Continues, With a Few Islands of Light”